Hondo Crouch “Imagineer“

John Russell (Hondo) Crouch, humorist, writer, and owner and self-proclaimed mayor of Luckenbach, Texas, was born on December 4, 1916, in Hondo. He was an All-American swimmer at the University of Texas, coached swimming at various children’s camps, and was President of the Hall of Fame for University of Texas Athletes. He was married for thirty years to Helen Ruth (Shatzie) Stieler, daughter of the 1945 “Goat Farmer King of the World;” Adolph Stieler of Comfort. They had four children, and their youngest daughter (Cris) owns Luckenbach on main. From 1963 to 1975, Hondo wrote over 600 “Cedar Creek Clippings” under the pen name Peter Cedarstacker for the Comfort News, satirizing politics, government, ecology, deer hunters, social life, and everyday country problems and celebrations. In 1971 he bought Luckenbach, a small community established as an Indian trading post by German immigrant Albert Luckenbach in 1849. There Crouch presided as mayor over a population of three plus a single parking meter. He brought to life the town's motto, "Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach”. He held celebrations such as the Luckenbach World’s Fair, the first Texas Women Only Chili Cook-Off, Return of the Mud Daubers Celebration, and many No-Talent Contests. On July 4, 1976, Luckenbach received national attention for celebrating the Non-Buy Centennial, protesting the commercialization of America’s bicentennial. Hondo Crouch was born on December 4, 1916 and died of a heart attack in 1976."